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It started with a casual enquiry as to the whereabouts of the Sittingbourne
Masonic Centre War Memorial. The enquirer was from the Sheerness Masonic
Centre which has strong ties to the armed forces, particularly the Royal Navy,
so the query was not surprising. The answer was simple; there wasn’t one,
which triggered off a train of events finishing with the dedication of a
memorial plaque at the recent St. Michael’s Lodge December meeting.
An enquiry was first made to Grand Lodge for them to check the Roll of Honour
to find out the identities of any war casualties among the members. It turned
out that there had only been one, a soldier in the 1st. World War.
St. Michael’s Lodge No. 1273 had been the only Lodge operating in
Sittingbourne during the two world wars and its membership was drawn mainly
from commerce and the majority were above active service age. There was a
popular belief held among young servicemen that if they became members of the
Craft, should they fall into enemy hands, there was a better chance of being
treated more favourably by fellow Masons among their captors.
So it was that Private Gwynfred Ellis Griffiths of the Wiltshire Regiment,
stationed at the temporary camp at Gore Court, Sittingbourne was initiated
with two other candidates into St. Michael’s Lodge at a Lodge of Emergency on
Wednesday 17th. July 1918. Bro. Griffiths was a china merchant from Llandeilo
in Carmarthenshire and would have had some business empathy with many of his
new found Masonic friends. He was due to be passed at another Lodge of
Emergency with three other brethren set for Wednesday 14th. August 1918, but
had been shipped out to the front in the intervening weeks. He was
unfortunately killed during the attack on the Beaurevoir Line in France on
Tuesday 8th. October 1918, just over one month before the cessation of
hostilities. He is buried in grave I.A.40, Bois-des-Angles British Cemetery,
Crevecoeur-sur-L’Escaut.
This information was achieved after further on-line research at the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission and visits to the Royal Gloucestershire,
Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (Salisbury) Museum and Llandeilo,
Carmarthenshire. Attempts to identify family members were unsuccessful. He was
survived by his wife, but there was no issue. His father carried on the
business which was included in a 1925 directory. Today Wedgwood House in
Llandeilo houses a ladies hairdresser.
A Wiltshire
Regiment wall plaque was purchased, mounted on a timber backing and a brass
engraved dedication attached. The plaque was dedicated by W.Bro. Rev. Brian
Blade and is now mounted on the Temple wall in the Tyler’s Lobby. The whole
process was most satisfying and can be recommended to others who may be asked,
where is your Centre War Memorial?
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